The Ginger TikTok Filter Is Convincing EVERYONE To Dye Their Hair Red
by Brianna Allison
This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s fall editorial intern Brianna Allison. Find her on Instagram at @ballison7. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
I feel like, at one point in everyone’s life, they’ve thought about dying their hair red. At least, I know I did and I really went for it. My hair was red for quite some time and I LOVED it. Well, now everyone seems to be jumping on the ginger train.
A few months ago, TikTok released a filter that allowed you to see what you’d look like as a ginger. And I mean a real, freckled redhead. My FYP is full of people trying out the filter. So now, it seems like everyone is fantasizing about having red hair. And some are going full throttle and committing to the redhead lifestyle by actually going to their salon or dying their hair at home! So why is everyone obsessed with this TikTok ginger filter? Let’s break down what it’s all about.
What does the filter do?
So, what does this filter that everyone is loving actually do? Well, honestly it doesn’t do too much besides casting a red tint or shadow over your hair. It also slightly tans your skin and adds tons of freckles all over your cheeks and nose to make you look more like a ginger.
Some people who try it think that they were born to be a redhead, but others aren’t thrilled with their results. Now, I will say that I noticed that people get varying shades of red depending on their current hair color. For instance, the filter made the people with dark hair like black or brown, have more of an auburn or copper color red. Whereas the filter gave people with lighter hair, like a light brown or blonde, more of an orange-red color or even pink.
And there were even natural-born redheads who tried out the filter, and they were probably the least happy with their results. Most of their hair’s color was just emphasized by the filter, but sometimes instead it made their hair look very orange. However, some redheads weren’t as mad about the filter, as they were about the other people using it. They felt like the people obsessing over the ginger filter, were also the people who used to make fun of gingers for having red hair growing up. Although some natural redheads were thankful that their ginger locks were finally being recognized and that so many people wanted their hair to be red now!
Do you want to dye your hair red now? Here’s what you need to know!
Dying your hair, whether at home or in the salon, can be very stressful. But dying your hair red is extra nerve-wracking because so many things can go wrong. Maybe some of your hair took the color, while other parts didn’t so it came out patchy. Maybe you bought the wrong shade of red for your hair color and instead it came out yellow, orange or pink. Maybe you decided to bleach your hair before the red dye and now your hair is just severely damaged. See? There are lots of scary components to dying your hair red, but I think that it might be worth it!
Also, before we get into the next part, I just want to remind you that I am most definitely not a hair professional so you don’t have to take my advice. Make the best decision for yourself and do what you want! Okay, now should you go to the salon or dye your hair red at home?
Going to the Salon
So if you’re like me and don’t trust yourself to dye your own hair, you might prefer to go to the salon to become a redhead. If you decide to go this route, make sure you’re prepared with 2-3 pictures of red hair that you like. Make sure to pay attention to the specific tone of the hair and what you like about each picture. Communicating all of your favorite details about the pictures to your stylist can help to ensure that you’ll like your hair at the end of your ginger journey!
However, I do want to warn you that depending on what condition your hair is currently in, it may be expensive to get the red hair that you’re looking for. It might also be a process. You may need to go to the salon a couple of different times before achieving the look that you originally wanted. And another thing to consider is that it may not be easy to get back to a light shade of blonde or brown after you’re done with your ginger phase. It’s important to really think about this decision if you’re picky about the color and tone that you like for your hair.
Dying it at home
If you decide to take dying your hair red into your own hands, I give you props! And I definitely want to try and help you in any way that I can. So, first I wanted to say make sure you do your research to find the red that’s right for you. You want your hair to be a red that compliments your skin and makes your eyes pop! That’s what should look the best.
Does silver or gold look better on your skin? If you wear a lot of silver then you have cool undertones. If gold looks best on you then you have warm undertones. And if you have a combination of both skin tones, both vein colors, and both jewelry colors look good on you, then you have a neutral skin tone. Make sure to check out which red color goes best with your specific skin tone because this will make a huge difference in how you look as a ginger!
Now, there are MANY different types and shades of dyes, as well as developers and toners that you can use to succeed at your red hair. And if I’m being honest, I’ve never dyed my hair at home so I don’t have a ton of insight. But I do know that each person’s hair is different so I don’t think that I could give you an exact formula to dye your hair anyway! So, instead, I gathered a few different TikToks where people with all different hair types and colors go red! And if you don’t find a video here that fits exactly what you’re looking for for your own hair, there are plenty more on TikTok!
So are you convinced to dye your hair red now and become a ginger? If you want to try the filter out before committing, go to your TikTok app. Click the plus button at the bottom of your screen. Next, click the effects button at the bottom left of the screen. Type “Ginger” into your search bar and the filter should be the first one to come up! Then, you just click on it and see your new redheaded self!
Now, I feel that it’s important to mention that the filter isn’t definitely going to be how you look if you decide to dye your hair red. As I mentioned, I dyed mine red for a couple of years and my hair did not look good when I tried the filter! I currently have light brown hair with blonde highlights so with the filter on my hair came out looking like a mix between pink and orange. It was not cute!
So if you don’t love your hair in the filter, but have always wanted to try red hair? Don’t just completely disregard doing it now because of this TikTok filter! Just talk to your stylist or do some research to help find your perfect shade of red; one that will match your skin, eyes and align with what you want!
So what do you think? Are you going to dye your hair red now that you’ve tried out the TikTok ginger filter? Let us know down below and please share any tips that you have for going ginger!